getting cozier with jacey: building systems + lowering the barrier to entry

hi hi!! it’s crazy to think we’re already starting off the third month of the year - how is it going so far for you? i just got back from three weeks of working and exploring in buenos aires, argentina & i’m happy to be back in my cozy space!

🧳 behind the scenes of buenos aires

Buenos Aires was such a vibrant, spacious & welcoming city that exceeded all my expectations. I honestly was a little hesitant about going originally, but I’m so grateful we got to skip a few of the coldest weeks in NYC and work from a new city for a few weeks. Having novelty always helps me to have new perspectives, and it was cool seeing the different types of content I created from not having my normal filming setup - things like mini vlogs and new ways to share craft ideas. Ben & I actually got sick for a lot of the trip (thank you to everyone who sent ear infection remedies!!!!) but we still made the best of it & had an incredible time.

One of my favorite things we did while traveling was doing color walks, where you pick a specific color and then suddenly you start seeing that color everywhere. What's happening is your brain's reticular activating system (RAS) gets activated - this is the filter in your brain that decides what information to pay attention to and what to filter out. When you set an intention to look for a specific color, your RAS starts highlighting all instances of that color that would normally blend into the background.

This practice is so good for mental health because it gently pulls you out of anxious thought loops and into the present moment. It shifts your focus from internal worries to external curiosity, which can lower stress hormones and increase feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine. It’s a very good reminder that whatever you focus your attention on expands - in every facet of life!

On our last day in the city, we picked the color orange for our walk and found it EVERYWHERE! For this one, we took pictures of all the orange we saw, and then I used the photos to make a digital scrapbook. It was such a special way to remember all the little details of our trip, rather than just having hundreds of photos in our camera roll. If you want to try making your own digital scrapbook, I used the Adobe Photoshop app to make mine!

Some other highlights were going on a ceramic painting date (i made the cutest blueberry mug!!!!), long walks through new parks, doing a 10 hour roadtrip through the ruta de los siete lagos - a path of 7 beautiful lakes, trying so many new coffee shops, re-discovering my love of orange juice, exploring really cool bookstores, and getting to live with ben for three weeks!

💭 what’s top of mind for me…

Coming back home to NYC has been that mix of "so good to be back" plus the slight disorientation that always comes with returning from travel. I’m noticing I’ve been doing a lot of negotiating with myself on my foundational habits that I know make me feel good. Instead of beating myself up over it, I've been thinking a lot about creating systems that can make it as easy as possible to do the things I want to be doing. There’s a James Clear (author of Atomic Habits) quote I think about often that says “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Things like setting up automations, using my Hatch alarm clock to avoid my phone before bed + upon waking up, leaving out my yoga mat to stretch, going to the gym in the morning before I start work, using a meditation app like OPEN (30 days free if you want to try!), getting a new camera to make it easier to create the types of content I’m wanting to create, and asking friends for accountability where needed are all things I’ve implemented to support me! i find it helpful to think about could current me do right now that would be like a gift for future me! you guys are loving this post i made about loving yourself through all 5 love languages, which has a ton of little ideas you could implement to take care of your current + future self ❤️ 

❣️ what I'm loving lately….

📚 reading: my coaching textbook + study guide!! after finishing a 21 week coaching course through Chopra, I got my health & wellness coaching certificate and started my own coaching practice this year! seeing clients has felt sooo fulfilling to me and i’ve been studying for the next step on the coaching path - getting my official license from the national board! my exam is towards the end of march, so i’ve been doing a lot of studying to prep.

🥕 eating: i am realllyyyy obsessed with a new breakfast inspired by a meal i had at one of my favorite restaurants that consists of a tahini + pesto base, 2 hardboiled or fried eggs, sweet potatoes, crunchy chickpeas, and tomatoes with a drizzle of maple syrup. i tend to hyperfixate on a meal and eat it every day until i get sick of it, and this is definitely my current fix.

🎵 listening: this morning affirmation track by Em on the Brain has been a morning staple. I've been playing it while getting ready in the morning and I notice it’s making a huge difference in how I feel. I’ve also been loving this relaxing house playlist when I’m doing creative work (i’m listening to this as I type this letter right now!)

🎮 playing: my new camera - the DJI pocket osmo 3!! if you know me, you know i’ve been a total gadget girl since I was little and nothing excites me like trying out a new piece of hardware or software. to the theme of lowering the barrier to entry, this camera has so many amazing capabilities that is making vlogging and creating content so much easier! It easily switches between portrait orientations so I can go between making short form content & longer content for youtube, has amazing stabilization (goodbye to my shaky hands trying to capture footage), and has face tracking to follow me around as I’m moving to get better shots!

🎨 creating: junk journal spreads! I'm so happy to be reunited with all my craft supplies. I collected so many little treasures in Buenos Aires - from café receipts to colorful sweet wrappers to plane tickets - and turning them into memory spreads has been the perfect way to remember the trip.

🤳 coming soon: long-form vlogs on youtube!! i’ve honestly been intimidated by how much footage goes into creating this type of content, but i’m really excited to make my first one soon!

💓 gentle reminder

If you've been finding it hard to stick to your routines or habits lately, know that you're not alone. Sometimes life shifts and our systems need to shift with it. Instead of feeling guilty about what you haven't been doing, try asking yourself: "What's the smallest, gentlest way I could bring this back into my life?" Often, the tiniest consistent action can rebuild the bridge to the habits that make us feel our best.

Thank you as always for being here on our cozy corner of the internet!!

jacey 🤍

P.S. I'd love to hear what's top of mind for you lately or what topics you'd like me to explore in upcoming newsletters and videos! Feel free to comment down below or write an email back - connecting with you makes my day better!